Sheriff's Contract Extended

DEERFIELD BEACH — The Broward County Sheriff's Office will continue to provide police protection to the city through 1996.

The City Commission, happy with the police services being provided by the Sheriff's Office, agreed to exercise a two-year option on its original five-year contract.

Deerfield Beach will pay $5.3 million this year for patrols, a detective bureau and other police-related services. Before contracting with the Sheriff's Office in January 1990, Deerfield Beach operated its own police department.

In 1989, its last year of operation, the city's police budget was $5.8 million.

"The $5.3 million is still cheaper than the last budget year of the Deerfield Beach Police Department," said Capt. Al Lamberti, head of the sheriff's Deerfield Beach district.

He said Deerfield Beach paid the Sheriff's Office $4.8 million in 1990 under the first year of the contract.

Under the terms of the agreement, the contract price cannot increase by more than 5 percent annually.

The contract was set to expire in January 1995.

The City Commission voted 5-0 on Tuesday to approve the contract extension. The Sheriff's Office also provides police services in Dania, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Pembroke Park, Tamarac and unincorporated areas of the county.

Unlike Deerfield Beach, Lauderhill is thinking of ending its 13-year contract with the Sheriff's Office and operating its own police department again.

Lauderhill will pay the Sheriff's Office $4.3 million this year for police services, but the cost is expected to increase to $5 million in 1995.